


He said, you will  be back. They all come back.

by TFALokiwriter



Category: Lost in Space (TV 1965)
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, Cryostasis, Future Fic, Gen, Jupiter 2 (Lost in Space), Old Age, Old Friends, Post-Canon, Sad, Short Chapters, Short Story, Sorrow, Stand Alone, The Prisonship (Lost in Space)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:27:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24153556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TFALokiwriter/pseuds/TFALokiwriter
Summary: And theydid.
Relationships: Robot & Zachary Smith





	1. Chapter 1

_"What is he saying?"  
_

_"He said, you will be back." Robot's helm twirled as he translated to the doctor. "They all come back."_

It felt to have been a hundred years ago since the Jupiter 2 crossed paths with the prison ship. A whole complete hundred years since the day that it had sucked in Robot and the Jupiter 2 sparing them of having leaving Robot behind forever all alone in space dying after two short weeks without a simple recharge. The Jupiter 2 was drawn once more into the prison ship.

It _had_ been more than a hundred years in space since the Jupiter 2 had crossed paths with the ship. Robot went over to a freezing tube then pressed a button. A elderly man stepped out, short, his face covered in liver spots as age had crept upon him and his hair was a pure white with large ears that stood out more than they had close to sixty years ago.

He walked slowly, plagued by arthritis in his joints, his figure shorter than how it had once been many years ago. He was set into the chair by Robot and rested in the chair slipped on his side. Robot came to the radio and performed his task that had been asked of him. Robot held no emotion in his voice as he calmly identified the vessel. It had been close to a couple thousand years getting the elderly man to this specific vessel.

The relief that channeled through Robot was enough. Once the deed was done, he hooked the radio up then flicked switches that turned the lights off from the lower empty decks. It was lifeless compared to most decks aboard the ship. It had been lifeless since the children, the children's children, and the grandchildren of the children had perished. Robot returned from the lower decks then held the tray out. Smith stirred awake then took the lone few nutrition blocks, chewed carefully, then sipped from the cup.

He cleared his throat then met the machine’s gaze then dismissed him. Robot put the equipment back down the lower deck and returned to the elderly man’s side. Smith smoothed out the Military uniform that was quite large large on him; ID badge, awards, rank, and all. He went down the lower decks as Robot turned the heating on and the light on. He would turn the lower decks off after Smith left. That was part of the deal that they had made.

Smith quiet. All the words, all the fight, all the hope, all the optimism, just a grim reality of his return to Earth would be. He pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting back tears, emotionally pained as he lowered his head standing at the entrance of the Jupiter 2. He leaned against the frame as he started to sniffle and sob at what had lead him here. Silence was the only thing that couldn’t be had when he wept after a vow of silence from the most significant loss in his life.

Robot flicked the lights off to the upper deck of the ship then turned the lights off the lower deck. The voices, the warmth, the happiness, the sorrow, the bitterness, feelings of the innocent times echoed from the ship but it was the love of the Robinsons and the welcoming feeling that lingered even as it were empty of the ones who made these bubbly feelings. With a single breath, the elderly man rightened himself up then descended down the stairs and Robot followed not that long behind him.

Smith shifted toward him, curious, his nose wrinkling.

“You need a buddy… buddy.” _  
_

Smith patted on Robot’s chassis then opened his mouth, apologetic, then closed it.

“Doctor Smith, why don’t you please talk?”

Smith squeezed his eyes. _I am afraid if I do, I’ll scream._

“Then scream, please.” Robot said. “We have both lost everyone we have loved.”

Robot silently contemplated to best force the scream out.

“Doctor Smith, why don’t we attempt to time travel to the past and inform Alpha Control of the conflict?” _  
_


	2. Chapter 2

Smith pressed the button and the door to the residential deck closed. Smith screamed letting go of all the agony that what the devastating loss had left behind until nothing was left. He was sunk down to the floor with his back against the wall in a corner in a sobbing shadow of himself.

"Because I would get myself into prison, you foolish boob!" Robot generated a handkerchief then handed it off to the man. "That's why!"

"This computes." Robot said, softly. 

"BOTH of me." Smith added. 

"Two Doctor Smiths in one place." Robot laughed, mechanically, easing the sorrow in the air. "I would like to see one of you give me a oil bath without arguing about your back."

Smith dabbed along his face wiping of all the tears and blew into it.

“Here.” Smith said, softly, holding the handkerchief out. "Also, we wouldn't be on speaking terms with each other on that bumbling idiotic move!" Robot bobbed his helm up. "And that younger man wouldn't stand to be near me."

"I can imagine." Robot replied.

Robot took the item and demateralized it.

“Is. . is. . is there a freezing platform waiting for me?” Smith asked.

Robot’s helm twirled.

“Affirmative." Robot confirmed. "They have one waiting for you.”

Smith thumbed with his fingers in his lap then grimaced.

“It could have gone differently. It all could have done differently if I made a different choice,” Smith grasped his hand as his voice started to break and he began to tremble in the unfairness of the long curled road of Life. “The Robinsons should be living in the Jupiter 2 on Gamma.”

“At Alpha Centauri.”

“That time loop, my dear old friend. . ." Smith was torn by the mention of it that was dropped by him and the issue stomped what little there was of his heart. "There is no reset, no walk down memory lane, no chance of ever seeing the delightful faces of the Robinsons, the disgruntled major, the ornery Bloop, or hearing them ever again.”

“Doctor Smith, I wish we had perished with Will.” Robot admitted.

“I don’t want to _die_ so being in a eternal freezing could do.” Smith folded his arms and sighed. "I wish it had been the case, booby."

“It will do for you.” Robot said.

“What are you going to do?” Smith asked. "After my last trip."

“Go into a cave, wait to be found, and tell the stories of the Robinsons when I am found and restored who wants to listen." Robot replied.

“Will you tell select stories?” Smith asked.

“Only the best ones," Robot said. "And the worst ones."

“You were always the best of us.” Smith said. "I admired. . . How true to yourself that you were."

“And you were the worst.” Robot said and Smith chuckled with a small laugh. "Once, you ran away from here. Now? You are braver.”

“Me? Never." Smith held his hand up. "This is me running away from danger and into the arms of safety.”

“Doctor Smith, there is always a chance of Earthlings coming aboard and freeing you." Robot reminded him and Smith pouted at it. "You do stand out.”

“And have you seen any of these Earthships, now do tell.” Smith folded his arms as he retorted.

“Negative.” Robot replied.

“By then, they may be kinder and more lenient when they come across me.” Smith sighed then turned away from Robot. “Time to go.”

He pressed a button then the door opened before him. Smith descended down the steps slowly with pain echoing through his joints protesting against moving the way that they were. Against the pain of actively moving as he went down a path that required little death, little loneliness, little despair. It was all worth the effort to give himself the smallest of all endings that eased his thoughts about the future.

Once he leaped off the side, the stairs flattened then Robot descended down the platform behind Smith and the landing pad came down so Robot could join the elderly man who was walking slowly ahead of him approaching a black machine with silver bands decorating some of the frame. The prison based machine huddled toward the direction of the older man.

“Colonel Zachary Smith, is that your registry?” Was the question posed.

“It is a title I prefer to be known under.” Smith said.

“You are referred to as Doctor Zachary Smith in the Intergalactic system of Criminal Behavior. " Robot translated for the robot guard. "Your consciousness indicate you have committed a heinous crime and require to be frozen as you are capable of making this deed on any occasion.”

“That …" Smith looked back at his long and well trudged career of backstabbing. "I am.”

“Why not refer to be labeled under that name?” the robot guard asked.

“Doctor Smith had _everything_ and loved ones to care for his name.” He lifted his head up, his eyes burning with rage, of anger, of bitterness, of a hollow heart broken feeling that made his eyes water. “Colonel Smith has **nothing.** ”

“Your companion?” the robot guard asked.

Smith turned toward Robot.

“Doesn’t count. He is a machine.” Smith shook his hand with a scowl then shifted back toward the robot guard then waved his hand including his head. “Simple and through as that.”

“You are a bystander to his freezing process, is that why you are here, Robot Robinson?” the robot guard asked.

“It is.” Robot confirmed.

Smith frowned turning toward Robot.

“Go on. Back to your ship.” Smith ordered gesturing toward the Jupiter 2. "Your duty is over now.”

Smith turned toward the machine.

“Now, let’s go, my dear machine.” Smith requested with a grin and rubbed his hands together – slowly, but painfully – in glee.

“My sensors indicate you require help." Robot translated for the robot guard. "Would you like me to be your guide?”

“Yes.” Smith nodded.

The machine linked their arm with his and he wrapped his arm with the machine’s arm as they walked on slowly from the Jupiter 2 leaving Robot behind as they went further into the ship.

“I always knew you were going to come back.”

Smith had long ago became adapt to understanding sounds from aliens and machines in his long travels with the Robinsons. It took a long moment for him to translate what the sounds coming from the taller machine meant that went along _wur wur_. If Robot had been there, he would have instantly translated what had been said for him. And he frowned as he looked back toward the machine.

“Don’t gloat about it.” Smith said.

“I will not." Smith turned his attention on for what was ahead. "I did not anticipate you being so old upon your return.”

“Nobody expects me to stick around…" Smith mused. "As did I… As did I.”

They lurked down the corridor vanishing out of Robot’s advanced sensors that were beginning to tremble with certain feeling coming over him.


	3. Chapter 3

The corridor were baby blue in nature outlined in golden paint. It was that Smith observed remained the same and hadn’t been renovated since his last trip through the environment. It had only been so long ago with his best friend, alive and young, in his prime, they were both in their prime then. The door way to a chamber was opened but it looked stranger than how he had last remembered it. 

“We have updated Cryostasis for freezing a prisoner.”

The machine waited for his reply as Smith scanned the interior of the familiar chamber. 

“Hmm, and that is?” Smith asked. 

Smith turned toward the machine. 

“The pipe does the work.” the robot guard replied. 

Smith nodded during the long pause between them.

“And if the prisoner should stray out?”

the guard waved the cryo gun in mid-air.

“This always comes in handy.” the robot guard replied. 

Smith grimaced then nodded. 

“Oh. _That_. Course.” 

Smith momentarily was overwhelmed with warmth at the sight of it. A piece of a memory where the children, the women, and the women were still around. He was almost emotionally choked up to see that clunky contraption after all those years.

“You have become forgetful since your time here.”

As were notable other events that Smith desperately wanted to forget but could not. It was all that he had of the Robinsons. 

“How silly of me to forget that. I won’t forget now with my memory refreshed.”

The machine lowered it.

“Go to the booth at the back.” The machine turned toward him. “Do you feel that you can do it?”

“I feel that I can do the last leg of this journey, dear robot guard.”

Smith unlinked his hand from the machine’s rounded arm then made his way toward the platform as the machine came over to the panel then typed in a rush with a sudden sound of beeping coming from it. Smith started to lift his leg once in front of the platform then was jerked by a wave of pain. So he opted for sitting down on the edge and sulked lowering his head, his shoulders lowered, sulking, twiddling his fingers. 

The Robot guard returned to Smith with slow but precise steps after him with the cryo gun strapped along his bubble shoulder outlined in gold. Smith looked up toward the machine that was largely untouched by time and still retained the youth that had been sported so long ago. Searching everywhere for a very long time and the slick, retro, and innocent but quite menacing robot guard stood out as a genuine familiar piece of a past that had been taken away from him and welcoming to look at. 

“Could you do me the favor of helping me aboard the platform?”

“You need being guided up.” The robot guard said. 

“No, sir. I need to be _lifted_ up.” Smith emphasized. “My joints ache when I move.” his voice fell. “My arthritis is terrible upon me.”

“There is medication for that aboard your ship.” The robot guard said. 

“No. . . No…” Smith said, sadly, shaking his head. “We ran out of that before I went in the tube.”

“That is a bitter matter for someone of your condition.” The robot guard said. 

“Yes, yes, yes it is.” Smith said. 

“I will help you up.” The robot guard replied. 

The machine lowered down then placed a hand on the back of Smith’s backside and a hand under his legs then lifted him up to the platform. Smith was guided down to his feet briefly – if for a moment, losing his balance but was caught by the machine and his fast beating heart became still as the terror faded. He smoothed out the uniform as he adjusted his position on the platform then looked on spotting a moving figurine getting off the platform and begin to creep on.

“Remain here for approximately fifteen to thirty-five minuetes, Colonel Smith.”

The robot guard went on the chase after the convict as Smith remained on the platform waiting, patiently. He started to tremble as his mind jumped from one idea to the next. The convict escaping, the convict making it to the Jupiter 2, overpowering Robot, and making a daring escape and ruining the name that the ship wore over a period of weeks to months to years—but one fact struck him. They would come back after being captured and the Jupiter 2 taken to a ship yard, a scrap yard, with Robot removed and put into service with what scientist had in store. 

Smith gulped down his heartbreak as he closed his eyes, strained by the thought, strained by what a simple mistake, a simple act of love, a desperate act to preserve the people that he had grown to care about over three years to live. He started to feel tears coming down his skin as his heart shattered at the precious memories. Never again would they live, but time could not take the life out of them in his memories, it couldn’t take his family from him in his heart. 

He opened his eyes as the tears dried and his calm composure came over him as he watched the robot guard return with convict being held as a statue completely frozen over. The convict was put once more on to the platform before his eyes as they were in the position of defiance holding a hammer in one hand and the machine was largely intact. Smith sighed, his heart a little uneven, a little shaken by his own decision to come back after losing so bitterly, so slowly, so suddenly, so unexpectedly, at this being the only solution to evade dying with only a machine as his companion and ghosts of what he had once had.

“State your age.”

“Ninety-seven… no, a hundred ten.” Smith winced, grimaced, squeezed his eyes closed as his shoulders hunched together and he tensed up as his hands clenched along the other. “No, that’s not right!” His aged blue eyes flashed open. “It’s a hundred twelve.”

“That is a very advanced age.”

“Indeed, it is.”

“Are you adding years to your age? My sensors detect that you are only 110 according to your bone rings.” Smith’s brows flashed up for a moment in shock of the machine’s comments.

“How dare you insult me that way. Gentlemen do not lie about their age!”

“Except for this one. You have nothing to skew over, hide, conceal. It is not heavily important to deceive about.”

Smith sighed. 

“Bad habits never die easily. Why can’t it be so easily shed? Why can’t I be honest?”

“It is not in your nature, Doctor Smith, to tell the truth.” Robot’s voice came from afar. “Only falsehoods. It is ingrained in your character.”


	4. Chapter 4

Smith lifted his attention up in the direction of the deep mechanical voice in surprise. 

“Then why do you stay here if my character is that way?” Smith asked. 

“Because you need a buddy, my old buddy.” Robot said. 

Smith was heartbroken as he stared in the direction of the machine. 

“Go. . . please?” Smith plead.

“Negative.” Robot materalized the pocket watch. “I believe I can repay you for saving the Robinsons.”

The robot guard turned toward Robot. 

“What do you have in mind?” the robot guard asked. 

“Hypnotism, Doctor Smith has lived through a time loop a long time." Robot explained to the older machine. "Should he come to this memory once more, he will be forced to relive the same memories over and over and over. Forever.”

“Forever is a long time.” Smith whispered. 

“Do you want to see them again, old chum?” Robot asked. 

Smith’s eyes flashed open as he beamed. 

“YES! Yes! I do!” Smith exclaimed, on the verge of tears. “I want to see _them_ again!” 

Robot let the grandfather watch pace back and forth. 

“Watch this.” Smith’s blue eyes landed on the watch as Robot’s voice remained quite calm. “Let my words wash over you, and take the suggestions as you desire them. I need you to focus on your breaths, in and out, slowly let the air out of your chest, emptying your lungs.”

Smith did as instructed.

“Let your eyes and eyelids relax,”

His eyes began to close. 

“Relax your feet and ankles. Feel the muscles lighten and loosen in your feet.”

Smith followed the instructions. 

“You can feel yourself relaxing now. You can feel a heavy, relaxed feeling coming over you. And as I continue to talk, that heavy relaxed feeling will get stronger and stronger, until it carries you into a deep, peaceful state of relaxation.”

His figure relaxed. 

“And the deeper you go, the deeper you are able to go. And the deeper you go, the deeper you want to go, and the more enjoyable the experience becomes.”

Robot demateralized the watch. 

“Take the first step down and feel yourself sinking deeper into relaxation. Each step is a step further into your subconscious. You step down the second step and feel yourself getting calmer and calmer. When you reach the third step, your body feels as if it is floating blissfully away.”

“Once you reach the moment in which I have hypnotized you, you are to relive from the moment. You are to remain here during this state of being, feet planted on the platform, you will have to be carried as a statue by your fellow inmates or the prison guard should this ship be under distress. It is far better to be immersed with your loved ones than to be apart.”

“I will envy you because unlike you, I can only find them on my memory tapes. I won’t be able to detect them anymore but your senses will pick them up. Good-bye.”

“Now to the matter at hand. Doctor Smith, you are at Alpha Control, T-Minus one hour and fourteen minutes. You are in your office. The Robinsons have just left and are now going to the waiting area for transport to the launch pad to arrive. Do what you did the first time around and work your way through history.”

Smith smiled as Robot wheeled back then the robot guard slid a leveler forward and the frost covered the man in his own piece of heaven. Robot sniffled as he wheeled back then twirled away from the older man and generated a red handkerchief. 

He blew his bubble into it a couple times then degenerated it. He made his way toward the doorway as the man’s fingers moved as a form of muscle therapy that kept the part ready to be used upon being awakened. Robot twirled toward the inside watching Smith’s eyes open then close as the smile faded away. Robot turned away then resumed his path leaving Smith behind in a comfortable fate.


End file.
